Envelope-opening tapes



July 30, 1968 P. ROBAK 3,394,372

ENVELOPE-OPENING TAPES Filed Jan. 24. 1966 2J1 INVENTOR. Pin-"x? POE/M United States Patent 3,394,872 ENVELOPE-OPENING TAPES Peter Robak, Box 262, Grandview, Manitoba, Canada Filed Jan. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 522,770 7 Claims. (Cl. 229-86) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention comprises an envelope that has a fiat, plastic tape along an edge within the envelope. The tape is adhered to the envelope substantially throughout its portion within the envelope. The tape has at least one tab end that extends outside the envelope for easy manipulation in tearing offset edges along an opening in the envelope. The tab may be folded with the tacky side facing itself. The tab may also be folded at right angles along an adjacent side and arranged within the confines of the envelope. The envelope itself may have one or more integral tabs to which such tape may be applied.

This invention relates to an envelope structure that includes tape or strip means to open the same, an object of the present invention being to provide a tape or strip that, when torn or stripped from an envelope, rather than merely slitting the same, tears and removes away a part of one envelope side to facilitate separating the envelope sides for easy extraction of the contents of the envelope.

Tear strings to open envelopes are well known and are effective to slit an end or edge of an envelope. Since such strings do not remove any portion of the envelope at the slit formed thereby, considerable fumbling is involved in separating the envelope sides at the slit. This time-consuming step is obviated by the present improved means, since the mentioned removal of a portion of one envelope side by a torn or stripped away tape creates offset end edges when the envelope has been opened. Hence, the protruding edge of one envelope side is easily moved in a direction to flex it away from the offset edge of the other envelope side to open the envelope so the contents may be reached and removed.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The above objects are realized in an envelope structure having a tape or strip of thin plastic material, as vinyl or cellophane, affixed by heat and pressure, or a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating on one face thereof, to the inner face of one side of the envelope contiguous to the fold at one or more of the edges of the envelope. At least one end of such tape extends beyond said fold in the envelope and may be doubled back to be out of the way during normal handling of the envelope. By grasping said end of the tape and pulling the same in a manner to tear away that narrow portion of the envelope side to which it is secured, said envelope side is provided with a torn edge that is offset from the slit edge of the other envelope side. This offset facilitates separation of the envelope sides so the envelope contents may be easily removed.

The envelope may be provided with a tab-like extension to which each tape end is adhered, thereby covering the adhesive coating for the entire lengths of the tapes. This alternative obviates the need for doubling over the doubled-back portions of the tapes to cover the adhesive thereon.

The invention also comprises novel details of construc- See tion and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an envelope provided with opening tapes along both end edges, one of said tapes being partly stripped or torn away.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view as taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of an envelope showing the same provided with a single opening tape along one longitudinal edge thereof.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary rear view of the envelope shown in FIG. 3 with the flap thereof raised and showing the opening tape that is secured thereto.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view as taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are fragmentary views of an envelope pattern with its parts before folding thereof into an envelope, the same showing modifications, respectively, of the envelopes as in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The invention has basis on an envelope 10, which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 as a typical mailing envelope but may be one for whatever purpose. Regardless how manufactured, said envelope is formed to have two sides 11 and 12, with end folds or creases 13, a bottom fold or crease 14, and a fold or crease 15 at which a sealing flap 16 appends. As is conventional, said fiap is provided with a strip of gum or adhesive 17 for sealing over the opening between the sides 11 and 12, thereby sealing in the contents 18 within the envelope; thus, when sealed, the flap 16 becomes a part of the envelope side 12.

According to the invention, such a generally conventional envelope, Without change in its typical form or manner of construction, is provided along one or both folds 13 with an opening tape 20, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, or with an opening tape 20a along either longitudinal fold 14 or 15 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 along the fold 15). Such tapes or strips advantageously comprise strips of film of vinyl plastic, cellophane or other thin, pliable, tear-resistant plastic, colored or colorless, as desired. In practice, said strips may approximate a width of /s" for ordinary mailing envelopes, but may be wider for envelopes of heavier paper stock, as manila and kraft paper.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tapes or strips 20 extend along the respective folds 13 from the fold 14 and beyond the fold 15 to form the tab ends 21 which normally are doubled back under the flap 16, as at the right of FIG. 1. For the purpose of increased tear-resistance of said ends 21, the same may comprise doubled portions of tape, as indicated in FIG. 2.

The tapes 20 are applied to the inner face of either envelope side 11 or 12, the later, as shown, being preferred, and are located so as to be contiguous to said folds 13. Heat and pressure may be used to afiix the tapes in the described positions or, as hereinabove indicated, a pressure-sealing adhesive coating 22 on said tapes may be provided for such afiixing purpose. In any case, it will be clear that the tapes are permanently adhered to marginal portions 23 of the envelope side 11 or 12 to which said tapes are secured, said portions 23 extending from the folds 13 to a width the same as the width of the tapes.

To open said envelope, as in FIG. 1, the end 21 of the tape 20 is pinched between the fingers and pulled in a direction toward the opposite end of the tape. As

shown at the left of FIG. 1, said tape will tear the margin 23 of the envelope side 12 along an edge 24 and slice through the fold 13 to form an edge 25 on the envelope side 11. Finally, as the margin 23 is fully severed from the envelope, the latter will have an edge opening 26 that is framed by the offset edges 24 and 25. It is now a simple matter to flex the envelope side 11 away from the side 12 and to extract the contents 18.

In the form of FIG. 3, the tape 20a may have two tab ends 21a, as shown, although only one may be provided. Said tape 20a is preferably secured to the inner face of the flap 16 if said tape is applied to the flap edge of the envelope. The ends 21a may have their doubledback portions 27 extending over the outer face of the flap 16, as shown. Said tape 20a, whether torn away from one end or the other, will open the envelope in the manner described for the form of FIG. 1, except that the opening will be along the edge fold 15.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the tab ends 21a may be folded at an angle to the tape 20a so the same reside within the confines of the envelope edges 13.

In order to obviate the need for doubling over the tab end 21 or 27, and also to obviate the need for using heat and pressure to cause adherence of the tapes to the envelope, thereby enabling pressure-sensitive coatings to be used on the tapes, the envelope side 12, as in FIG. 7, may be provided with an extension 30 to which the tab end 21 of the pressure-sensitive tape 20 may be adhered, thereby covering the pressure-sensitive coating on the tape and obviating the need for doubling the tape end over on itself. The envelope, as in FIG. 6, has its flap 16 provided, at one or both ends as desired, with an extension 31 for the same purpose, i.e., providing an envelope part onto which the end of the tape 2011 may be adhered. In both instances, the tab ends comprise envelope paper and plastic tape instead of the doubledover tape ends hereinbefore described.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular forms of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an envelope having contents-enclosing sides joined by edge folds:

(a) a tear-resistant strip tape applied to the inner face of the marginal portion of one of said envelope sides contiguous to one of said edge folds and adhered to said marginal portion throughout the extent of the tape within the envelope, and

(b) a tab end of the tape extending beyond an edge fold of the envelope at the end of said one fold,

(c) said tape' together with said marginal portion, when torn away from the envelope, slitting the same along said one fold to form an open edge, and tearing said one envelope side along an edge offset from said open edge,

(d) the marginal portion of the envelope side being formed with an extension and the tape end being adhered to said extension.

2. In an envelope according to claim 1, a tab end on the opposite end of the tape.

3. In an envelope according to claim 1, the tape comprising a thin, pliable strip of plastic material.

4. In an envelope according to claim 3, the adherence of the tape to the envelope side being a heat and pressure securement.

5. In an envelope according to claim 3, the tape having one side thereof provided with a pressure-sensitive coating, said coating adhering the tape to the mentioned marginal portion.

6. An envelope according to claim 5, in which the tape is disposed upon itself with the pressure-sensitive coating facing itself to form a non-tacky tab end for opening the envelope.

7. An envelope according to claim 1, in which the tape extends along one edge of the envelope and its tab end is arranged at right angles thereto along an adjacent edge of and on the outside of the envelope but within the confines of the edges of the envelope.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,141,084 12/1938 Hemphill 229-86 2,866,589 12/1958 Zacker 229-51 2,956,727 10/1960 Chevan et a1. 22986 3,182,892 5/1965 Paulson 229-86 FOREIGN PATENTS 983,353 6/ 1951 France.

DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner. R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner. 

